Month: May 2016

I haven’t been blogging all that much lately but with very good reason. I’ve, instead, been pounding away at the manuscript for my upcoming book! An actual book. About becoming vegan. Overnight.

Let me back up a bit.

A month or so ago I was contacted by Skyhorse Publishing in New York City. They stumbled onto my blog (this blog) and asked me if I would consider sending them a proposal for a book about becoming vegan. Skyhorse — with its thirteen imprints (Allworth Press, Arcade Publishing, Carrel Books, Gary Null Publishing, Good Books, Helios Press, Hot Books, Night Shade Books, Not For Tourists, Sky Pony Press, Sports Publishing, Talos Press, Yucca) now boasts a backlist of more than 6,000 titles!Since its founding, Skyhorse has published an eclectic and maverick list that includes books on history, politics, rural living, humor, and more. With its imprints, the Skyhorse program now includes business, art, fiction, regional books, and children’s books.

And soon The Skeptical Vegan (based on The Meaty Vegan based on The Reluctant Vegan)!

I tried to act all laid back but, of course, I said yes. Enthusiastically.

Skyhorse currently has 39 titles on the New York Times bestsellers list and I’m now committed to being #40! The book is a mashup of a memoir of a man who went vegan overnight (reluctantly) to eventually become an ethical vegan. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll wish your copy was signed (don’t worry … just let me know, I’ll sign it).

The 300+ page (?) book is ideal for the person who is considering going vegan and for the person who wants someone to go vegan (you all know who you are). It’s an honest and candid, personal story about the challenges, and triumphs, of being vegan. It will also include over 25 meaty vegan recipes.

The Blurb:

What happens when a 40-something man goes from notorious meat eater to tofu munching vegan overnight? “The Skeptical Vegan” covers everything from late-night cravings and surviving no-oil, no-salt, no-nightshades, no-nuts, gluten-free, plant-based potlucks; to weight loss and erections. This semi-autobiographical book, complete with more than 25 easy-to-prepare meaty vegan recipes, proves that anyone, at any age, can turn their lives around and go vegan for their health, the environment, and the animals.

At this point, I am roughly 55,000 words into a contracted 81,000 words and, so far, all the words are in the right order and spelled right.

According to Skyhorse (of course they haven’t read the manuscript yet), the book will be released August 2017! Their designers will send mockup cover designs next month and their marketing department will officially sign-off on the title of the book (which may or may not be The Skeptical Vegan). I will post updates here as they happen.

I want to thank all the followers of this blog for continuing to tune in, share, and comment on my writing. This all happened because of you.

I am beyond excited to share this vegan journey with the world.

Go vegan.

UPDATE: 84,000 word count reached and manuscript will be sent on 10/5/16 to Skyhorse!

Remedy Food Project will host the Remedy Food Toronto Live Event in downtown Toronto, Ontario June 17-19 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. The event brings together internationally recognized leaders from the whole food, plant-based movement including physicians, clinical researchers, celebrity chefs, and athletes, many of which were featured in the well-known documentary, “Forks Over Knives.” The reputable slate of presenters, together with more than 250 registered attendees, will mark the largest gathering of its kind in Canada.
The Atlanta-based nonprofit Alliance to Repair the American Diet (d.b.a Remedy Food project) was founded by Benji Kurtz. Obese his entire adult life, Kurtz watched “Forks Over Knives” in 2013, inspiring him to embark on a whole food, plant-based diet. The WFPB diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and excludes all animal products. Kurtz lost more than 130 lbs. within eighteen months, a journey that has been featured on CNN, HLN, The Daily Mail and other news outlets worldwide. Today, Kurtz is leveraging his entrepreneurial background to raise awareness about the growing body of research linking poor food choices to chronic disease through the Remedy Food Live Events.

“Though few in number, there are studies out there that prove plant-based eating can halt and even reverse coronary artery disease,” says Kurtz. “This conference is the first event of its kind to bring these all-stars of plant-based eating to Canada, some of whom continue to develop research for this cause.”

Attendees will learn how a plant-based diet can positively alter the progression of lifestyle-related diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and autoimmune disease. Celebrity chefs and cookbook authors will demonstrate easy, economical plant-based food preparation techniques.

Attendees will enjoy sessions with more than 16 world-class speakers including Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., MD, author and director of the Cardiovascular Prevention and Reversal Program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute; Drs. T. Colin and Tom Campbell discussing the best-selling The China Study; local Toronto chef, author and entrepreneur Doug McNish; Matt Frazier the “No Meat Athlete”; Lindsay Nixon, “The Happy Herbivore”; Jason Wrobel; Dr. Michael Greger discussing How Not to Die, and many more.

Conference registration is open to the public, and continuing education credit is available to physicians and dietitians. Registration fees include healthy, plant-based meals and “Dinner and a Movie Night.” A complete roster of speakers, registration information and more can be found at www.remedyfood.org.